Smiling Through the Storm
The Mama Ambassador Program (MAP), the focus of the video story draws upon the combined skills and contribution of very many skills and passions. In the video, you will hear the voices of the participants and of the implementation team as they tell us about their experiences.
Over the past two years, the Mama Ambassador Program has supported over 400 adolescent mothers and babies to build a nurturing, caring relationship and strengthen the bond between them. Through this program, babies have realized improved development in the first year of life, and young mothers have gained newfound confidence. When COVID 19 arrived in Uganda the network of monthly peer support groups was threatened, and mothers felt both worried about the future of their families and isolated from their peers. This story tells how a response was built, and how the team intentionally and effectively integrated partner families into the reflection and redesign that generated a valued response.
In the video among the voices, you will hear are those of:
Geraldine Kauma, the Brick by Brick Communications and Advocacy Officer. She provides the organization with the platform to make its work and impact visible through pictures, writings, and videos. She is passionate about giving a voice to all so that they can tell their own stories.
The Mama and Tata Ambassadors, the community health workers who have been working with Brick by Brick for over 4 years and are highly respected community leaders, recognized as role model parents and champions of the health and rights of women in the Rakai and Kyotera Districts.
Samuel Mayanja, Tata Ambassador, who is a trained teacher and has led the Heroes Peer group. He is passionate about seeing young mothers grow to their fullest potential.
Agnes Nambooze, Mama Ambassador, who has led the Empowered Peer support group and is committed to having young mothers embrace the new journey and grow loving and healthy relationships with their babies.
Parents Stella Najjumba, a 19-year-old mother to baby Hamidu. She was part of the peer support group, Team No Stress. Her greatest joy is being confident enough to speak up and share her story, which was originally such a shame to her and her family. In Phase II of this program, she is thrilled to be joining as a peer ambassador to support young mothers in her community.
Twaha Ssebagala, Stella’s spouse, and the father of Hamidu. Twaha has been fully engaged in the support system sessions and has learned so much about parenting and being a present father. He is thankful for the skills and supports his family has received in nurturing their baby.
Dr. Eleanor Nakintu, the Clinical Director of the Babies and Mothers Alive Program, who is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist. Eleanor provides technical support, ensuring that our partnering health facilities provide quality maternal and child health services. Eleanor is the only Obstetrician-Gynecologist serving the needs of over 500,000 people.
Sr. Mary Assumpta Mubiru, who is the Senior Mentor Midwife of the Babies and Mothers Alive Program taking the lead in providing mentorship to the midwives and community health workers who care for our adolescent mothers. Assumpta is passionate about engaging communities to promote positive change in attitudes and behaviors towards health and wellbeing.
Listen and watch this inspiring video below: